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Pet Health Columns

Experts on animal health from the college's clinics in Urbana and Chicago share their knowledge in informative columns written for animal owners. Scan the categories and tags at left for topics that interest you. Subscribe to our weekly Pet Columns email.

Many pets are allergic to the saliva of the adult flea Most pet owners know that dogs and cats should be treated regularly with medication to prevent an infestation of fleas, but they may not realize that even a pet receiving a flea preventive can be bitten by an adult flea and develop an allergic...

The white blood cell count is a diagnostic tool for evaluating your pet’s health When your veterinarian runs a blood test to determine what’s ailing Fluffy, do you ever wonder what exactly all those numbers mean? A simple blood test provides a lot of information about your pet’s health status. Among other things, the blood...

People are on the go, and increasingly, they are taking their pets along for the ride. While some pets seem born to ride, for others the loud noises and strange motions involved in traveling can be a real problem. Dr. Kelly Ballantyne, a veterinarian at the University of Illinois Chicago Center for Veterinary Medicine with...

Antimicrobial resistance is a big problem that is getting bigger. In 2014 the World Health Organization warned that “Without urgent, coordinated action, the world is heading towards a post-antibiotic era, in which common infections and minor injuries, which have been treatable for decades, can once again kill.” Antimicrobials refer to a wide array of drugs...

Check pets for ticks after every walk If your pet brings home a tiny hitchhiker clinging to its fur after a romp in the woods this summer, don’t panic. Although ticks can transmit many different diseases to both humans and pets, including the much-feared Lyme disease, prompt and proper tick removal will significantly decrease the...

Heat stroke can lead to death, even with quick action It’s that time of the year again: time for cookouts, fun, and sun. With the summer heat come dangers for our pets. Dr. Andrea Walters, a veterinarian pursuing specialization in emergency and critical care at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Urbana, explains...

Pancreatitis is especially common in small obese dogs The pleading eyes of your beloved pets can be hard to resist. A few bites of that rich cheesy pizza or a lick of that creamy, rich ice cream couldn’t hurt them, right? The truth is, feeding inappropriate food, especially to dogs, can lead to dire, even...

Genetic evidence suggests the dog flu vaccine may not be effective against the new flu strain. When the cause of the 2015 outbreak of respiratory illness in U.S. dogs was identified as a strain of canine influenza virus not previously seen in this country, the news spread as fast as the flu itself. Though canine...

More than half of all cats and dogs in the United States are either overweight or obese, according to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention And according to Dr. Gary Brummet, a primary care veterinarian at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Urbana, the typical pet owner is unaware that Fluffy is packing...

Dogs young and old, big and small may suffer from hip dysplasia. Fortunately, a range of treatment options is available to help pets stay mobile and pain-free. “The hip is a ball and socket joint. Hip dysplasia is a condition in which the ball—a protrusion at the top of the femur, or thigh bone—does not...